Judge won't toss Atlanta schools cheating case

A Fulton County judge has refused to dismiss the case against dozens of Atlanta educators accused of conspiring to cheat on standardized tests.

Superior Court Judge Jerry Baxter's decision is a victory for prosecutors. Baxter had expressed concerns about the prosecution's case last week after he said it appeared the defendants had been threatened with the prospect of losing their jobs if they didn't cooperate with the investigation.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (http://bit.ly/14CT7W0 ) that Baxter will allow his decision to be appealed before trial.

In March, former Superintendent Beverly Hall and 34 other former Atlanta Public Schools educators were named in a 65-count indictment alleging a conspiracy to cheat to bolster student test scores.

The trial had been set for May 2014, but that could be delayed by pretrial appeals.